This is in response to an invitation by the Australian Government to participate in the Employment Parity Initiative (EPI). This program aims to increase national long-term Indigenous employment by 20,000 over the next four years.

The Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Senator the Hon. Nigel Scullion, commented on Sodexo’s announcement in Perth concerning support for the EPI program.

“The initiative will open up a range of employment opportunities for unemployed Indigenous Australian jobseekers who wish to build a long-term career at Sodexo,” Minister Scullion said. Minister Scullion noted the EPI is a demand-driven initiative targeting companies with the capacity to employ 400 or more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals by 2020. The program offers tailored contracts and funding assistance to Sodexo to help incorporate Indigenous jobseekers into the workforce.

Nick O’Callaghan, Country President Sodexo, Australia, says: “The invitation to Sodexo to participate in the Commonwealth Government’s Employment Parity Initiative supports the company’s plan to bring sustainable and meaningful change for Indigenous Australian jobseekers in locations where Sodexo operates.

“Sodexo has a proud history of providing clear school-to-work pathways for Indigenous students, VTEC traineeships and Trades Apprenticeships. Our participation in the EPI will help ensure Sodexo provides a foundation from which future leadership development stems.”

The Australian Government approached Sodexo after being identified as one of the top 200 companies boasting a strong record of Indigenous employment. The initiative was developed in response to The Forrest Review feedback from Australian businesses which identified the lack of flexibly tailored contracts as a major hurdle of corporate Australia’s ability to help close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

The announcement comes on the back of Sodexo recently achieving Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Elevate status and is part of a broader strategy to become employer of choice of Indigenous Australians.